1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to portable lighting devices and, more particularly, is concerned with a miniature flashlight device having a housing with outer and inner enclosures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Miniature portable flashlight devices which can be stored in a pocket or attached to a key chain are known in the prior art. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,356 to Guthrie, U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,631 to Padden and French Pat. No. 1,443,787 to Teisseire. Some common components of these devices include a disk-shaped battery, also known as a button-cell battery, an electric lamp or bulb having a pair of conductive portions or lead elements extending therefrom and positioned to electrically contact spaced portions of the battery having respective positive and negative polarities, and an actuating element being movable for closing and opening an electrical circuit between the battery and bulb.
While these devices are of various configurations and constructions, they all must reliably position the battery and the conductive portions or lead elements of the bulb relative to the spaced portions of the battery in order to ensure the closing and opening of the electrical circuit when desired. In the case of each of these devices, either the bulb or battery is moved relative to one another along with movement of the actuating element or one conductive lead element in order to close and open the electrical circuit between the battery and bulb. The more components that must be made to move relative to others the more likely it is that some of the components over time will wear and/or loosen up in a manner detrimental to their reliability.
Consequently, a need still remains for innovation in the construction of miniature flashlight devices that will avoid or eliminate the problems of the prior art without introducing new problems in place thereof.
The present invention provides a miniature flashlight device with a housing having outer and inner enclosures designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a housing for a miniature flashlight device which comprises: (a) a base; and (b) a cover adapted to interfit with the base so as to form therewith an outer enclosure for receiving an electric bulb and an inner enclosure within the outer enclosure for receiving a button-cell battery. The cover has a flexible portion overlying the inner enclosure and capable of being depressed by a user from an outer relaxed configuration to an inner flexed configuration in which the flexible portion is deflected toward the inner enclosure and capable of returning to the outer relaxed configuration upon release by the user.
The present invention also is directed to a housing for a miniature flashlight device which comprises: (a) a base having an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall disposed within the outer sidewall and merging therewith at opposite side portions of the outer sidewall, the outer and inner sidewalls each having respective top and bottom portions and forward and rearward portions; and (b) a cover having an upper panel and a lower sidewall attached to and extending downwardly from a lower surface of the upper panel, the upper panel being adapted to overlie and close the top portion of the inner sidewall and the top portion of the outer sidewall at the forward portion thereof so as to form therewith an outer enclosure for receiving an electric bulb, the lower sidewall being adapted to fit within the inner sidewall of the base so as to form therewith an inner enclosure within the outer enclosure for receiving a button-cell battery. The upper panel of the cover having a flexible portion overlying the inner enclosure.
The present invention further is directed to a miniature flashlight device which comprises: (a) a housing having a base and a cover adapted to interfit with the base so as to form therewith an outer enclosure and an inner enclosure disposed within the outer enclosure, the cover capable of being depressed by a user from an outer relaxed configuration to an inner flexed configuration and capable of returning to the outer relaxed configuration upon release by the user; (b) a button-cell battery disposed within the inner enclosure of the housing and having first and second spaced apart portions of respective positive and negative polarities; (c) a dome switch disposed within the inner enclosure of the housing between the cover and the first portion of the battery and in response to application of force thereto capable of being deformed from an unflexed configuration to a flexed configuration and in response to release of force therefrom capable of returning to the unflexed configuration; and (d) an electric bulb disposed within the outer enclosure of the housing and having a pair of conductive lead elements extending therefrom into the inner enclosure of the housing, one of the lead elements having a portion disposed in electrical contact with the second portion of the battery and the other of the lead elements having a portion disposed between the cover and the dome switch such that the battery, dome switch and lead elements of the electric bulb will normally form an open electrical circuit with the cover in the outer relaxed configuration and the dome switch in the unflexed configuration whereas by depressing the cover to the inner flexed configuration the cover will force the dome switch into the flexed configuration and into electrical contact with the first portion of the battery so as to establish an electrical connection between the portion of the other lead element and the first portion of the battery via the dome switch and thereby form a closed electrical circuit between the battery, dome switch and lead elements of the electric bulb.